After the Fall
by a-few-of-these-verses
Summary: Josie discovers an old journal in a closet, and begs her mother to tell her the story. Her mother complies and tells her what occurred in the months after Bug World. Slightly AU.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"There are many places that I've been, and many more I've yet to go. But no matter where I go, no place will ever matter more than where I am right now. But where that is exactly, I'm not entirely sure."

Josie stopped reading. She had never come across a book like this in her lifetime. Writing in a journal was a thing of the past.

"Mom?" she called across the house. Her mother walked into the room, and Josie saw her eyes widen at the silver box on the floor.

"Where did you find that?" she asked, her voice rough.

"In the closet," Josie confessed. "I thought you might be able to tell me who wrote this journal."

"Shh," her mother whispered, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Josie watched her mother very carefully. At first, the woman simply stared at the book. Then a sign of recognition washed across her face, and she sat down on the couch, her right hand across her heart.

"I haven't seen that journal in years."

"Why did you hide it?"

"Plenty of reasons! I didn't want it to be ruined! I didn't want you to find it. Josie, you weren't old enough to understand-"

"I'm seventeen!" Josie interrupted. "How can I not be old enough to know, when it seems like everyone else does! Why didn't Dad tell me?"

"I told your-, I told him not to say anything to you. And Dead God forbid that you will ever truly know the pain that I've lived through."

"Well, I guess that since I'll never live it, then that's more of a reason to tell me the story then, isn't it?" Josie said as she sat next to her mother, wrapping her arms around the woman's waist.

"I do suppose you're ready to hear the story," her mother said with a sad smile, returning the hug. They sat still in this embrace, the silence weighing in around them. "You're almost an adult."

"So you'll tell me!" Josie said, sitting up excitedly.

"Yes, but you must promise me that you will not interrupt."

Josie rolled her eyes. "I promise."

"Good!" said her mother. "I've told you all about the Robot Wars, and about the early victory of Starship 15A2 on Bug Planet. And it's in all of the textbooks about how 15A2 revealed Space-Claw as an evil bastard. Now, I'm going to tell you the story about what happened after Space-Claw was revealed, the story that is seldom told."


	2. Chapter 1

Up saw Space-Claw turn into this specific hallway, but what he couldn't understand was how he disappeared so quickly.

"Alright, boys and girls!" he yelled. "Looks like we're going to have to split up. Krayonder and Specs, you go back to 15A2, make sure he didn't hijack the starship. Bug and February... Well, I think you better go with them. Mega-Girl and Tootsie, you take the corridor to the right, and Taz and I will take the corridor to the left! Other rangers will most likely join ya in trying to track the bastard down."

The group split up and started to run. Up and Taz searched each room that they passed, but couldn't find Space-Claw. Up was just about to suggest turning around and retracing their steps when a sheet of metal slammed over the corridor entrance, sealing it shut.

_"__Mierda!"_ Taz yelled, before setting her zapper to pew. The green light shooting out of her zapper did nothing to damage to sheet. Up looked around, trying to find the box to remove the door.

"Calm down, Taz," he said, earning himself a glare. "I'm sure that there's something that will help us."

"Congratulations," a booming voice said. Up turned around, expecting to see Space-Claw, but saw nothing.

"You revealed my deep, dark secret," Up was still searching for the sound when Taz pointed to a speaker above an air vent. "I bet you feel tough and strong now, don't you? Well it looks like you've lost. You see, if I go down, you'll all go down. I installed bombs all over headquarters, and they will go off in ten minutes. Too bad the bravest rangers in the galaxy won't be able to save the day. Junior will welcome us when we see you in Hell."

The speaker clicked off. Taz began shooting the door with intensified ferocity and Spanish swears. Up grabbed his communication device and called the starship.

"Up?" February asked, her voice full of fear. "What's happening? Where are you and Taz?"

"We're locked in a room, and it seems like Taz is going to try and blast our way out of here. Unless she does so soon, which is unlikely, we may not get out."

"So what do we do?"

"Tootsie and Mega-Girl should be okay. Mega-Girl can blast through anything. Leave as soon as they find you. Under no circumstances are you to wait around for us."

"But Up!" Bug's voice was heard now. "We can't go without our commander."

"Bug," Up said, trying to keep tears forming in his eyes. "You're the commander of that ship now."

"But Up-"

"No buts, Bug! You're in charge!"

"Thanks, Up," Bug said, his voice full of awe. "Now tell Taz to get the job done and come back here!"

"Will do, Commander," Up said with a smile, before turning back to Taz. The door was still in perfect condition.

"There has to be another way!" she cried, starting to throw her knife at it.

Up slowly walked to Taz and put his hands on her shoulders. She became still at his touch.

"Taz, I think we're trapped."

She turned to him, her eyes not believing his words. "We can't be, Up. We've gone through the worst _mierda_ together. This can't be it."

"Taz, I've gotta tell you something. I kind of-"

"The vents," said Taz, pointing to the air vent next to the speaker. "We'll crawl through the vents, find the room with escape pods, and leave!"

Up felt incredibly stupid. "Of course!" He walked to the vent and started blasting away the grate. Taz scooted in quickly, and Up followed with difficulty; the vents weren't made for his build.

"You have six minutes." Space-Claw's voice rang all around him.

"_Hijo de puta," _Taz muttered. Up didn't understand the slew of insults coming out of her mouth, but she seemed to mean each and every one of them.

No escape pods were in sight, and they had been in vents for at least four minutes. Up was beginning to think that every breath was his last when he heard Taz shooting at a vent.

They slid out of the vents and dashed into one of the pods. Taz punched in the buttons as Up called 15A2.

"15A2! This is Up! We're in an escape pod, and we're-" Taz hit the final button and they were sent into space, "-in space! We'll send you our coordinates so you can find us."

"I'm glad that you and Taz got out!" said Bug. Up noticed his voice was heavier than expected.

"Bug," said Up slowly. "You left Headquarters, didn't you?"

"Tootsie and Mega-Girl haven't found us yet," Bug confessed. Taz turned to Up, her eyes filled with horror.

"Bug," Up said, his heart beating fast. "You've got to get out of there."

"But they haven't shown up yet!"

"They might have reached an escape pod and didn't send you a message. You need to leave!"

"Up says to leave, everyone!" Bug yelled. "Specs, press that switch! Krayonder, man the wheel! February, fasten your seatbelt. We're going-"

"NO!"

Up looked at Taz, her hands pressed against the escape pod window, her eyes wide, and her mouth stuck in a silent scream.

"Bug!" Up yelled at his communicator. "Bug! February! Krayonder! Specs! Where are you! 15A2, answer me!"

Only silence filled the tiny pod.

"Answer me!" he yelled.

Taz was still frozen against the window. Up didn't want to look out, so he only stared at his hands. 15A2 made it out of Headquarters. They had to have gotten out of there. This was just a joke. Taz would turn around and laugh. She'd say something like _"Idiota_,you would not believe that escape!"

But Taz didn't turn around, and she didn't laugh. She was silent.

Up slowly moved his head from his hands and looked out the window. Headquarters was gone, replaced by floating chunks of metal and wire.

15A2 was nowhere in sight.


	3. Chapter 2

Up didn't say a word as the escape pod descended into the atmosphere. He only quietly cried. Taz remained at her post, staring out the window. Their silence was broken when they hit land.

"It looks okay," Taz whispered.

"What does?" Up asked, wondering how anything could be okay.

"This planet," Taz pointed out the window. "There's something that looks like a plant over there, so there has to be oxygen."

"Oxygen test first," Up said, his tears coming to a halt. He nodded towards a button on Taz's side of the pod. "Press it and find the levels. I'll send our coordinates to Headquart- to the Earth base. It will take them much longer to find us, but they're our only hope."

"Air's breathable!" Taz said as Up punched a few buttons in the pod.

"That's great! Maybe we'll find help down here."

"Maybe Tootsie and Mega-Girl will too..."

They were silent again. Up opened the latch and breathed in the fresh air. Taz was right, there was something that looked like a plant near them, but it could also be an odd-looking alien. The ground beneath him was very rocky.

"What planet is this?" Taz asked, following Up onto the planet's surface.

"I haven't the slightest idea. Maybe it's a moon, maybe it's a dwarf planet, or maybe it's an asteroid with an atmosphere. I'm just glad we landed."

"So what do we do?"

"Stay put for now. See if our signal is picked up. We'll explore the area soon."

"Will we be alright?"

"We'll be fine. Escape pods are equipped with meals and necessities. We'll last quite awhile, I think, especially if we find food sources here."

"But we're not going to stay here forever, right?" Taz asked quietly.

"Right," Up said, turning towards Taz. He wanted to say everything he wanted to say back at Headquarters again, but his heart seemed to tell him that now was not the time. "We'll be found. C'mon, we've got to go find what the G.L.E.E. left us in the escape pod."

Underneath the pod's seats, they saw that the Galactic League had left them at least five hundred packets of food. Up knew from experience that the meals weren't particularly tasty, but he'd eat them regardless of their texture. Extra zappers and charges lay next to blankets and a first aid kit.

"Not much in here," Taz said as she opened the kit. "Some band-aids, medicine, antidotes, and gauze. Oh, and there's this." Taz pulled out a syringe with a long needle. "I guess you're supposed to put the medicine in this and... insert it into the skin. _Feliz Navidad_, that needle is... Up, do you know how to-?"

"Taz, are you afraid of needles?" Up asked, immediately regretting the question as it only earned him a fierce glare.

"No!" she said loudly. "Well, not exactly. I just don't think I could give someone a shot."

"Taz, I've seen you with knives, this shouldn't be-"

"Knives are different, Up. You're not supposed to hurt someone with needles. Don't do anything _estupido_, promise?"

"Promise. Let's get dinner, and call it a night."

After eating half of a package of ramen noodles, Up wasn't sure how he was going to get used to the poor food. While Taz started boiling another package of noodles, he pulled out a notebook and pen from the escape pod seats, and started to write about the day.

"What's that?" Taz asked, pointing to the notebook with a spoon.

"This?" Up pointed to the book. "It's a notebook that I found, and now it's my journal."

"Journal?" Taz stared at him. "Since when have you kept a journal?"

"Doctors at the rehabilitation center said it would be good for me," Up said defensively. "I kept mine in my room back on the star-" The faces of the crew flashed before his eyes, and Up realized that he was never going to see them again. Tears fell heavily onto his dinner plate.

"-ship," Taz said. "Up, you've got to be tough now. They're gone."

"We could have saved them-"

"No we couldn't, Up. We couldn't do anything."

"I sent them to the ship, if they stayed with us, they could have lived-"

"Up, don't blame yourself!" Taz interrupted again. "We didn't know what Space-Claw was going to do. It's not your fault."

"It is! They stayed behind on my orders!"

"Up," Taz's voice was softer, and her hands cupped his face. "_Mirame._ It was Space-Claw's fault. That _hijo de puta_ killed them, not you."

"They were our friends, Taz."

"I know, Up, I know. I'll miss them too."

Up's tears slowed, and he saw that Taz was much too close. She seemed to notice this and went back to stirring the noodles.

"Write about them," Taz said, her cheeks blushing.

"Who?" he asked, trying not to smile from her embarrassment.

"Everyone," she said, not making eye contact. "In your journal, write about 15A2."


	4. Chapter 3

The next few days, Up noticed that Taz avoided making eye-contact with him as much as possible. Despite the recent tragedy, he felt his heart beating happily at this. There was the small chance that Taz returned his feelings.

There wasn't much to write about, but Up made sure that he kept track of the days. The planet that they landed on didn't seem to have much vegetation outside of the blue plant they spotted on their arrival. They walked further each day, and still found nothing. While their food supply was fine, Up sensed that Taz was getting restless.

"Why won't the _hijos des putas _find us already?" she said, kicking the escape pod.

"Earth is very far away from wherever we are, Taz."

"Send out the signal again," she said sternly.

Up sighed as he pressed the buttons in the escape pod. For good measure, he tried to use his communication device. Static was the only sound he heard.

"Damn it," he whispered. "No luck, Taz."

Taz threw her hands into the air. "That's it! We're exploring all day to find someone to help us out!"

"Taz, we've looked. There doesn't seem to be anyone here other than that plant."

"We haven't been looking hard enough. C'mon, Up!" She threw him a zapper and a bottle of water. When he didn't answer, she rolled her eyes. "I've got extra water and food in my bag. And we'll be back before it gets dark out. Now let's go!"

Up dashed inside of the escape pod to get an extra pack of zapper charges, and after thinking twice, the first aid kit. "Alright, little lady, where are we going?"

Taz looked at her compass and pointed to her left. Let's go west. I've got a feeling that we'll find something or someone west."

Up didn't want to admit it, but after walking for three hours, west did not seem to have anything living. The terrain looked just like their camp three hours east: rocky with very little vegetation, though this area was hillier. Every once in awhile they came across small pools of water.

"There has to be something here!" Taz said, sitting down on a rock. "There's water and plant-life. Where are the animals?"

"I don't know, Taz," Up said, trying to decide how to tell her that it was time to turn back. "Maybe we should just-"

"Sh!" Taz whispered before grabbing her zapper. "Don't move!"

"What is it?" Up asked, suddenly in fear.

"I don't know!" Taz said. "Just don't make any sudden movements."

"Taz..."

"There's something out there."

"Is it far away or very close?"

"Far away, I guess."

"Then I'm turning around to see what this is!"

"No, Up!"

Up turned and saw that something very large was moving towards them. It didn't seem to be running. It looked like it was flying...

"Zapper set to kill, Taz," Up ordered, setting his own zapper.

The thing flew closer, and Up began to make out the details. It was blue, very large, and looked a bit like the flying dinosaur he'd once seen a picture of. It had deadly looking talons.

Green light started shooting out from next to him, and the alien moved faster towards them.

"Taz, what are you doing?" Up yelled, starting to shoot. The beast moved around the lasers, and flew past them.

"You said to kill it!" she shouted.

"No! Only set your zapper to kill-"

"Up, duck!"

Up turned and saw the alien only as it spit something green at him. The liquid hit his left shoulder, and he fell to the ground as the pain ripped through his body.

"Up!" Taz screamed. Up heard more shooting and swearing.

"It flew away, Up," Taz said as she kneeled next to him.

"Taz, get- get the first aid kit, and tell me what the wound looks like."

She rummaged through his bag and found the small box. "There's this pus coming from the wound. Whatever that thing was, it's poisonous."

The pain was beginning to cloud Up's vision. "Taz, you're going to have to- to have to use that needle. Find an... antidote. You can do it, Taz."

"I don't think I can, Up," Taz sounded like she was close to tears.

Up grimaced. The pain was becoming too much. "This is goodbye then."

"No, Up, don't say that-"

"Taz..." Up gasped, his breath becoming short. "I love you."

"Up!"

He gave up fighting the venom, and everything went black.

Up felt the cool air around him. He opened his eyes and saw that it was dark. He heard a pained cry.

"Taz?" he whispered.

"Up!" He now found himself being partly cradled in Taz's arms.. "I thought I killed you. I gave you the antidote, but I thought it was too late. Then I realized that your heart was still beating and that you were breathing, so I wrapped up your wound, and just waited for you to wake up. You didn't wake up though, so I was scared, and I thought that if I pulled you back to the pod it would help, but you still didn't wake up, and..." she looked at him, her brown eyes sparkling in the starlight, "Te amo."

Taz kissed Up on the lips with un-Taz-like sweetness.

It was beyond anything Up could imagine. This was a Taz who was soft, caring, gentle even. Up drew back. "You dragged me back here by yourself?"

Taz playfully punched his right shoulder, and Up smiled. "You know I love you. Want to know something reassuring?"

"What?" Taz asked.

"Put your hand on my chest, and feel for my heartbeat. Feel it?" Taz nodded. "It's beating because of you. Even before this planet, you're the reason why my heart beats."

Taz stared at him for a moment before drawing him back into the kiss.

There was no sense of time on this planet, something that Up was grateful for. The only thing that mattered was that he was kissing Taz, and that Taz was kissing him. All eternity could pass and nothing would ever break them apart.

When Up awoke the next morning, he realized something important: he wasn't wearing any clothes. The previous night's encounter flashed through his mind. Up opened his eyes and saw Taz curled up next to him. As far as he could tell, she was only wearing a blanket.

"Taz?" Up whispered.

"Mmm?" he heard as a response.

"Did we-?"

"Mm-hm."

"Oh."

"Is that bad?" Taz asked groggily.

"No, _mi querida_. It could never be bad."


	5. Chapter 4

The next two months were filled with bliss that Up had never known. While no rescue starship had found them yet, Up was starting to think that life on this planet with Taz was all he would ever need. He was in the pod, writing in his notebook when Taz walked in looking very serious.

"Can we talk?" she asked, not looking at him directly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I need to see your journal?"

"Why would you want to see my journal? It's private."

"Because I need to find out what day it is."

"September 14th."

Taz started counting on her fingers. "_Mierda!_"

"Taz?" Up asked, unsure of what she could be counting.

"I'm pregnant," said Taz in a low voice.

"You're what?" asked Up.

"I'm pregnant. I didn't think about my period at all since we've been here, and I'm late. I'm definitely pregnant."

Up felt a stone being dropped over his body. "You're... pregnant? Taz, are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure!"

"That shouldn't be possible," Up said, his heart beating faster.

"Why?"

"I don't have any balls, Taz. You've been down under lately. You know."

"I don't know how it's possible, but somehow, it is! I'm pregnant, Up."

"I'm going to be a father," Up said quietly.

"Up, we can't be parents. I'm too small. I can't carry this baby."

"Taz, you'll be okay. Really! Once we're rescued, we'll get meds, and doctor visits, and-"

"We're never going to be rescued!"

"Taz, we're having a baby."

Taz scowled at him and stormed out of the escape pod.

"Taz!" Up yelled, running after her. She turned around at his footsteps.

"Leave me alone, Up."

"Taz," Up took her hand. "Come back to the pod. We'll talk about this."

Taz nodded, tears falling from her eyes. "Carry me?"

"Of course." Up gently lifted Taz from the ground and cradled her in his arms, rocking her to sleep. "We'll be rescued soon, Taz."

When they reached their camp, Up placed Taz in the pod and started writing in his journal.

"There are many places that I've been," Up said aloud as he wrote. He paused and looked out at the three suns setting. "And many more I've yet to go. But no matter where I go, no place will ever matter more than where I am right now. But where that is exactly, I'm not entirely sure.

This planet, wherever this is, has become so beautiful to me. The colors of the sky seem brighter tonight. I almost want to thank the alien who nearly killed me. Without him, who knows if Taz and I would be together? Be parents.

I am going to be a father. And I am going to be a better father than my own. As soon as the robots hit Mobile, my mother went into labor with me. I was premature, and she died soon after. My dad said it was because the robots hit her with some sort of ray, didn't want any more humans to be born, so they stunned her. Unfortunately for them, I survived. Dad wasn't happy though. He never got over her death and blamed me for it. He says that I have my mother's eyes, and that whenever he looked at them, he saw her. That's why I ran away to joined the Rangers. I never felt love.

Then I met Taz. She completes me. Neither of us has a family, but together we've made one. Regardless of what she says, she'll make a great mother. We'll be rescued, and she'll make it through this pregnancy. We're having a baby. No matter what happens next, I will make sure that our baby has the love I never felt. My baby will have a mother."


	6. Chapter 5

Up was cooking dinner when Taz walked out to join him. She looked about eight months along, but her small body made the bump look extra large. It had taken about a month, but Taz began to love their unborn child. Her white tank top had been stretched out during their stay, so they had begun to make clothes out of their blankets.

"Hungry?" Up asked.

"Of course," Taz said, sniffing. "Except not for that."

"No hamburgers?"

"No. Noodles sound good though."

Up grabbed the bowl of noodles behind his back. "Thought you'd want some."

"You know me too well," she said as she took a fork. "I think she's a girl."

Up dropped the spatula he was holding. "What?"

Taz smiled and repeated, "I think she's a girl."

"We're having a girl," Up said quietly, before shouting, "My baby's a girl!"

"Happy?" Taz asked.

"Am I happy?" Up leaned across the table he built out of various rocks and kissed her. "Taz, I've never been happier! A girl!"

"What do you want to call her?"

Up thought of only one name. "Josephine. Josie for short."

Taz gave him a confused look. "Josie?"

"It was my mother's name," Up said softly. "Do you have any names in mind?"

"I don't know, maybe... Light."

"What kind of name is that?"

"No, Up, there's a light!" Taz pointed behind him. "It's the light from a starship!"

Up spun around and saw a drop pod descending upon the rocky terrain.

"We're being rescued!" Taz yipped.

"Hold on, Taz, let's make sure they're friendly," Up said.

A man walked out of the pod, and Up felt his heart soar.

"Tootsie!" he yelled. Up dropped his dinner and ran out to greet his long-lost friend.

Tootsie wasn't the same man he had known. His face was grimmer, and he'd lost weight.

"Hi, sir," Tootsie said quietly. "I've come to rescue you and Taz.."

"Tootsie, give me a hug, my boy," Up chuckled. "How did you survive? I never thought I'd see you again."

"Mega-Girl's dead," Tootsie said quietly as they walked back to the escape pod.

Up regretted his cheery demeanor. "Tootsie, I'm so sorry."

"Without her, I wouldn't be alive," he said. "We couldn't make it back to 15A2 in time, so we found an escape pod. Only, you see, it was jammed, and needed to be released manually. I tried to stop her, but Mega-Girl... She got out and pressed the buttons. I went into space, and she stayed behind on Headquarters. I landed on Gault, which was lucky since the climate is so much like Farm Planet's. I stayed there until getting picked up by the rescue ship. I've been with them for a month, and they thought it would be a nice surprise if I came down to rescue you."

"Tootsie, I'm just happy to see you alive," Up confessed. "After what happened with 15A2, I thought you were gone for sure."

"No, I'm still here," Tootsie said as they neared the camp. "I just miss Mega-Girl. I don't want to live without her, sir."

"The pain will heal," Up said softly. "When we get to the ship, I'll let you sit on my lap. That solves everyone's problems, doesn't it, Taz?"

Taz didn't answer. She stared to something to his left.

"Taz?" Up asked.

"It's back," she said quietly.

Up was puzzled. "Taz, what are you talking about-"

"Grab your zappers and turn around!" she shouted, adjusting her own zapper.

Up and Tootsie turned, and Up saw the terrible beast that had terrorized them all those months before. "Taz, no. You get into the escape pod and stay safe!" he said before turning to Tootsie. "Tootsie, you're going to need to be your best shot. This thing's trouble."

They hid behind the escape pod for cover, waiting for the alien to pass. It flew directly over them, but then turned and started circling.

"It wants us," Taz whispered, cradling her zapper. "We're going to have to fight."

"Taz, you stay in the pod," Up ordered. "Tootsie and I will take care of this."

"But Up-"

"Taz, it nearly killed me last time. Now we don't have an antidote. Stay in here."

Up and Tootsie charged out of the pod and started shooting. The beast was larger than Up remembered, and like last time, it did not enjoy being shot. A pattern soon developed: Up and Tootsie would shoot; the alien would duck and fly towards them; they would hide behind the pod; and it would fly away. Their zappers just didn't seem to be powerful enough.

The beast swooped down again, but this time it landed about fifty yards away from them. Up saw that it was probably about twenty feet tall with a thirty foot wingspan. It simply stared at them, and they did the same. No one moved.

"Sir," Tootsie whispered.

"What is it?" Up asked, not breaking his stare at the alien.

"My zapper is out of charges," Tootsie said, his voice breaking.

"Damn it! I've got some extra, hold on." As Up tried to move slowly to his pocket holding the charges, the alien chose to attack. Before he could react however, the monster blew up into a fireball. Up looked at Tootsie in amazement, but Tootsie shook his head and looked behind him. Taz was on the ground next to a large bazooka.

"Taz!" Up yelled as he ran to her. She was breathing heavily, and her eyes were wide open. "Where did you- how- Taz?"

"Found it," she panted "Under another seat in the escape pod."

"Taz," Up said softly. "What's happening? Taz, please?"

"Up," Taz said, her voice faint. "The baby's coming."


	7. Chapter 6

Up paced the hallway. Taz was screaming in the birthing room, and there wasn't anything he could do to help her. He and Tootsie had carried her into the drop pod, and she'd nearly passed out. While the deaths of his shipmates may not have been his fault, Taz's pain definitely was. He was supposed to be sterile, and yet Taz was pregnant.

The door opened, and a man walked into the hall. Up recognized him immediately.

"Doctor Tanner," Up said surprised. Out of all of the doctors in the universe, Taz had Tanner.

"Commander," Tanner said with a faint smile. "I'm glad to see that you're well. The mechanics still in good working order?"

"Yes," Up said, "Without you, I wouldn't be here right now."

"You were my finest patient," said Tanner.  
>"What's happening in there?" Up asked. "Is Taz alright?"<p>

"Well, that's why I'm here," Tanner confessed. "Her body isn't really made to carry children. I hate to be frank with you, Commander, but there's a very good chance that she won't make it."

"Won't make it?" Up found a chair and lowered himself into it slowly. "What do you mean, 'won't make it'?"

Another doctor opened the door. "Sir, she's ready to push."

Up looked for a sign from Tanner before racing through the door.

"Up!" Taz screamed.

Up had never seen Taz in this much pain before. Sweat drenched her body, and her face was twisted in anguish. "Taz, you can do this."

"No!" she yelled. "_Soy demasiado pequeño!_ I can't do this!"

"Taz," Up said, taking her hand. Taz squeezed it with such force that Up regretted not giving her his robotic hand. "Be brave, Taz. You can do this. You need to push!"

Taz looked at him, her brown eyes beginning to brim with tears. She closed them and gave Up a small nod.

Taz didn't scream when she pushed. Her face was determined and set, but Up felt her pain through the intense strength she was using as she squeezed his hand. Soon, a cry was heard, and he saw a very pink baby held by the doctor. She was beautiful.

Taz smiled as Up cut the cord, but the nurses soon whisked the baby away.

"Where are they taking her?" Taz asked alarmed.

"They're doing the standards," the doctor explained. "Weighing, measuring, it's normal. We'll have her back soon, and then the photographer will come to take pictures of her for you."

Up stroked Taz's hair from her face and kissed her cheek. "See," he said, "You did it."

A nurse walked in with their baby wrapped in a pink blanket. "I have just one little thing to put on the form," she said. "What's your blood-type?"

"O-positive," Taz and Up said in unison.

"I was just talking to the mother, thanks," the nurse said as she handed their daughter to Taz. Before she walked out the door, she added, "The photographer will be here in a moment."

Up turned to the bed. Taz looked exhausted, but he noticed that her fatigue didn't keep her from smiling at the small baby in her arms. "Hola," she whispered.

The man that Up guessed to be the starship photographer walked in the door. "Picture time!" he said with a smile. "Commander, crouch by the bed next to your daughter. Perfect! Smile!"

The flash was brighter than Up expected. "Here you go," the man said, handing them the picture. "I already got the picture of your daughter when she was being cleaned off by the nurses, so you just ask one of them to get your copies."

Up looked at their family portrait and smiled. He and Taz, with everything going against them, had created something perfect.

"Do you want to hold your daughter?" Taz asked. Up slowly nodded and took the little girl from Tup's hands.

Two bright blue eyes stared back at him. "Hi Josie," Up whispered, planting a kiss on the infant's forehead.

"I didn't agree to that name, you know," Taz said.

"You'll warm up to it, I reckon," Up said, starting to make cooing sounds at his daughter. The baby had her mother's black hair and tan skin tone.

Before Taz could respond, Doctor Tanner walked into the room.

"Commander, may I speak with you?"

"Of course," Up said, handing his daughter back to Taz. "I'll be back soon. Bye, Josie!"

Tanner closed the door behind Up.

"So, do you know how I managed to get Taz pregnant without any balls?" Up asked. "You should see our daughter, Doc. She's got my eyes, and Taz's hair, and-"

Tanner coughed. "Up, Lieutenant Taz is dying."


	8. Chapter 7

Up felt the world stop around him. Taz couldn't be dying. "Excuse me?"

"Her heart is failing," Tanner said frankly.

"What?" Up felt his heart pounding against his chest.

"The lieutenant's heart is failing."

"Why? How?"

"Her body was never made for pregnancy. She's much too small. It didn't help that she became weaker while stranded on the planet."

"But she-" Up faltered. "She can't die!"

"Sir, we don't have anything to save her."

"Get a heart transplant!"

"We don't have anyone that we can use."

Up was quiet. He looked in the window and saw Taz rocking their child in her arms. He couldn't let her die. Slowly, Up turned back to Tanner. "I know whose heart you can use."

"Up, what's wrong?" Taz asked.

"You just need to go into surgery soon," Up said, his mind racing.

"Tell me what's wrong," she demanded.

"Taz," Up stroked her hair. "Tanner says you're dying."

"Que?"

"Your heart's failing."

Taz was silent. She only stared at the baby in her arms, rocking her back and forth. Up joined her in the silence, not knowing what to say or when to say it. Eventually Taz looked back at him and sighed. "When?"

"When what?" Up asked.

"When am I going to die?" she asked, her voice stronger than Up imagined.

"You're not going to die, Taz," Up said firmly. "You're going into surgery now. You're going to get better."

"If I don't make it," Taz started, handing Josie to Up, "Take care of her."

Josie grabbed his thumb and squeezed tight. "She's got a strong grip, just like you," Up said. "And don't worry, you'll be around to take care of her."

Taz kissed his cheek and smiled. "Promise you'll be in that chair when I wake up."

Up blinked back tears and kissed her back. "I'll be here, I promise."

Josie squirmed in his arms, and Up gave her back to Taz. "I'll… I'll go get the doctors," he said before walking out the door.

Everything seemed much slower than it was. Out in the hallway, Up collapsed in a chair, his heart racing. He pulled out the notebook and wrote down everything he could think about. He knew he was stalling precious time, but was he making the right choice?

Up shut the book and started walking again. His future actions clouded his thoughts and eyes. He wasn't watching where he walked, and bumped into Tootsie.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir," Tootsie said.

"It's alright, my boy," Up said, clapping him on the back. "You're just the person I wanted to see."

"I am?" Tootsie asked as they walked.

"Yes, I need to ask for a favor."


	9. Chapter 8

Taz sat up in the hospital room. Tubes and wires were inserted all over her body, and a loud beeping came from a machine. She looked down and saw that another scar was added to her collection, this one in the center of her chest. She felt her heart beating at a normal pace again. A vase filled with lilacs, stargazer lilies, and gladiolus stood on the table on her left, a small card sticking out by one of the lilies. Josie was sleeping in the small crib on her right. Up's chair was empty.

_He's probably just getting something to read_, Taz thought to herself. Reminded of reading, Taz pulled the card from the flower arrangement. Her name, written in Up's messy scrawl, was on the envelope. The card's cover said "Thinking of you", and on the inside Up had written "... with all my heart. I love you."

Josie stirred. Taz put the card back on the table and stroked her daughter's hair. Josie awoke to her touch, and Taz saw a pair of blue eyes looking at her. They weren't the right pair. Where was Up?

A knock on the door.

"Up?" she whispered.

It wasn't Up. It was a nurse. She walked in slowly.

"I'm supposed to give this to you," the nurse said, handing Taz the notebook she'd seen Up write in. She avoided Taz's eyes.

"Where's Up?" she asked, her heart beat faster, and her breathing quickened. The nurse lifted Josie from her crib and walked to the door

"Where are you taking her?" Taz asked, longing to leave the bed, but not finding the strength to do so. Why was everybody leaving?

"To a feeding room," the nurse answered. "You'll be able to feed her when you're healthy again. You need to read the notebook. I'll bring your daughter back soon."

Taz sat back on the pillows and read the worn notebook. She smiled at the memories from the planet, but felt guilty at reading Up's journal. These were his private thoughts, and if he walked in right now, she would feel so embarrassed.

She had reached the final few pages of the notebook, and saw that Up's words get smaller and closer together. It looked like he was rushing.

"If everything goes as planned, Taz will get a new heart. She'll be a great mother to Josie, I know it. She'll look just like her mother. I know that babies eyes all start out blue, but for her sake, I hope they turn brown. Taz, I hope you're reading this. I hope you understand that I'm not breaking my promise. I'm with you now. I'll be with you forever. Please don't be mad at me, Taz. Be strong. You'll be a great mother to our daughter. _Te amo_, Taz.

And Josie, my baby girl. I can't believe that I helped create something so wonderful. You are beautiful. I really hope that you'll forgive me. Remember that I love you, Josie."

Taz heard footsteps by the door. This had to be Up, it just had to be him. Whatever he had just written, it was a joke. It had to be a joke.

Tootsie walked in the room, the baby in his arms.

"Taz, I'm so sorry," he whispered.

_"Dónde está Up?"_ Taz asked, her breath becoming shorter.

"He's gone, Taz."

"What do you mean 'gone'?"

"Up died for you."

"Tootsie, tell me this is a joke."

"I can't, Taz. I ran into Up in the hallway a few hours ago, and he told me what was happening. He said that he was… donating his heart so that you could- you could raise Josie. He wanted her to have a mother."

Taz felt the tears in her eyes increase, and she began to hyperventilate. Tootsie crossed the room and put Josie back in the crib. He did the only thing he could and held her as her mind raced. Up couldn't be gone…

"He also told me to watch after you two," Tootsie confessed, tears spilling out of his own eyes.

"Up…" Taz cried. He was the only person that made sense in the world, and now he was gone forever.

Josie whimpered in the crib, and Taz turned to her. Though her eyes were nearly blinded by tears, she saw two blue eyes looking at her.

Maybe Up wasn't gone after all.


	10. Epilogue

Josie's head was spinning. She was on the floor, tears falling from her eyes, trying to comprehend everything that her mother just told her.

"So, Dad..." she began slowly, "He isn't my father?"

"No," Taz said. Josie noticed that her eyes weren't dry either. "But just because Tootsie isn't your real father-"

"Who you lied about!" Josie interrupted. "Why?"

"We moved to Alabama so you would be closer to your roots," Taz explained. "It's so difficult for me to go by that statue of him in Mobile without crying. I miss him, Josie."

"So Dad-"

"Loves you. Tootsie does love you. What we each had was torn away from us. Tootsie will never love me like he did Mega-Girl, just like I will never love him like I loved Up. Your father truly loved you, Josie."

Tears dripped down Josie's face as she allowed her mother to wrap her arms around her. "What else is in the box?" she asked.

"Go ahead and look," Taz said.

Josie went back to the silver container and pulled out various medals. At the very bottom were three pictures. The first was of her parents. Up had light brown hair, and was very muscular. Her mother was playfully scowling. They were young and happy looking.

"That was a few years before Qo'noS," her mother explained. "Before his accident. I loved him then, but tried not to show it."

Josie looked at the second picture. There were several Rangers and alien bugs standing together. She recognized her foster father in it, standing next to a white robot. Her parents stood close to each other, and Josie saw that Up's hair had turned silver. "Bug Planet," Taz said. "The last picture taken of 15A2."

Josie looked at it again. "Was everyone a couple in the crew?"

Her mother laughed. "In the rescue mission, _si_. February and Bug were the first to be together, and Tootsie married Mega-Girl that day. Specs professed her love for Krayonder, and it was only a matter of time for me and Up."

The last picture made Josie gasp. Looking back at her were six eyes, four of them bright blue. One of those pairs was her own, but the other belonged to her father. He looked so happy.

"Up kept his promise, you know," Taz said softly. "He never left. I have his heart, and when I look at you, I see him. You have his eyes."

Josie looked at the picture again and kissed Up's face.

"I love you, Daddy."


End file.
